The invention relates to an arrangement for the high-frequency opaque shielding of the walls, or portions thereof, of a housing and, in particular, to the front panels of a subrack. The walls, or portions thereof, each comprise a plate-form basic element comprising a shielding function with wall prongs, if appropriate, projecting from it into the housing. In at least a side margin region, and extending perpendicularly from the front face of the basic element, a first receptor, such as a groove, is positioned. The groove has two side walls situated proximate to or remote from the front face and a bottom (groove bottom). Into the groove extends a first prong, which is U-form in cross-section, of a spring element. A further prong of the spring element extends along the side margin region.
Subracks for shielding the interior space from external electromagnetic fields and the region outside of the subrack against electromagnetic fields generated in the interior of the components are known. Leaf springs having a so-called spring leg and positioned between panels, extending from the front panel and reaching into the housing interior, are positioned in the groove
The outwardly arched spring leg of the leaf spring can come into conducting contact with a rack-and-panel connector of an adjacent front panel to ensure the required high-frequency opacity (DE 3604860 C2).
EP 401418 B1 teaches a shielding device for an electrical component in which a contact sheet developed as a screening sheet covers the entire front panel and is directly contactable with the screening sheets of the adjacent front panels.
In an arrangement of this type, a spring element engages a groove extending along a narrow side of the panel by means of a clamping portion. A spring leaf having a base portion and a contact portion extends from the clamping portion at right angles. The contact portion is bent back onto itself and bears a contact lip which contacts a corresponding contact portion of an adjacent structural element (DE 19544835 C1).
Such spring elements have a complex geometry and are costly to manufacture. The base portion must extend in a plane along the narrow side since it would otherwise be impossible to line up several panels at the requisite close spacing. In order for the spring element to say in the groove, the clamping portion must be a spring claw. However, this does not always ensure that the spring element will stay securely in the groove.